Civil servants who are priority movers have the option to create a profile and add:

full contact details, including address

employer, role, grade and location

employment history

diversity and inclusion information

When you view a job advert we may automatically collect:

your referral source - the website where you saw the job advert

details of the pages you have viewed - including how long you spend on a page, and which links you select

information about your computer - such as the web browser used and device type

your approximate geographic location based on your IP address

When you make an application we may ask for:

full contact details, including address, and mobile phone number

eligibility - nationality and immigration status

employment history

qualifications, licences and professional memberships

diversity and inclusion information

CV and personal statement

Disability Confident Scheme and reasonable adjustment requirements

National Insurance number (Home Office vacancies only)

When you are invited to an interview we may ask you to provide:

evidence of your identity and right to work in the UK - such as your passport, utility bills or other documentation

a completed non-taxable travel and expenses form for an HR supported costs interview scheme if offered by a participating organisation. This will require bank details, travel details and a copy of any receipts related to interview travel, to allow verification and reimbursement of appropriate travel costs

When you undergo pre-employment checks we may ask for:

contact details for your referees

National Insurance number

date of birth

public sector pension history

health declaration

evidence of time spent outside of the UK

details of any self-employment

evidence of current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate

bankruptcy details

addresses for the last 10 years

passport details

driving licence details

previous names you have been known by

workplace discipline information

criminal history

If you are already working for the Civil Service and moving to another government department, we may also ask for:

two most recent consecutive payslips

current National Security Vetting clearance

current employee number

In order to help test the effectiveness and fairness of new questions for our online tests, you may be presented with a few trial questions as part of your online test and/or you may be contacted to complete a separate trial test.

The list above only applies for applications made through the Civil Service Jobs system. Some advertisers may use their own application systems, when their privacy notice will apply.

When you contact us with feedback or an enquiry we will process:

your email address

the details of your request

Purpose

The purposes for which we are processing your personal data are:

to manage recruitment for Civil Service organisations and non-departmental public bodies. This includes a job board, online application service, sift tests, interview scheduling, and pre-employment checking service

to assess your suitability for a role

to enable the creation of user accounts

to provide SMS updates on the recruitment process

for civil servant candidate accounts, to allow users to view and apply for internal and across-government vacancies

to offer a job alert email service

to offer a priority mover service to help civil servants find new roles when they are at risk of redundancy

to provide technical support to candidates and recruiters

to send your contract of employment to your email address, if the employing department chooses this as an option

to monitor the effectiveness of recruitment processes - this could include statistical analysis of system usage, or research into the experience of applicants and other system users, or analysing referral sources to see which provide the most diverse applicants

to undertake pre-employment checking and onboarding activity before you start in a role in the Civil Service (including health, pension questionnaire, character declaration)

to complete a 'fit-for-work' disclaimer in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic

verification of nationality and immigration status - including entitlement to undertake the work in question

verification of employment history - through cross-referencing information against the HMRC PAYE system or through references

verification of criminal record (unspent convictions) - for HMRC vacancies this check will also include spent convictions

additional verification - only applies where additional verification or assurance is required

Legal basis of processing

The legal basis for processing your personal data is:

Contractual: it is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party - an employment contract. This relates to information that we need to recruit and employ you.

Contractual: it is necessary in order to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract for employment. This relates to information that we collect as part of the application and selection process.

Legal obligation: it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation placed on us as the data controller - we are required to report on equality of opportunity; and onboarding processes have specific requirements

Public task: processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the data controller. In this case, Civil Service Jobs facilitates recruitment of high-quality candidates to roles across government departments, agencies and other public bodies. It provides recruitment tools and processes that support Civil Service recruitment strategy, and we also monitor the effectiveness of recruitment processes.

Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation.

The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data is:

it is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department; the exercise of a function conferred on a person by an enactment; the exercise of a function of either House of Parliament; or the administration of justice; and an appropriate policy document is in place. Civil Service Jobs facilitates recruitment of high-quality candidates to roles across government departments, agencies and other public bodies. It provides recruitment tools and processes that support Civil Service recruitment strategy.

it is necessary for the purposes of performing or exercising our obligations or rights as the controller, or your obligations or rights as the data subject, under employment law, social security law or the law relating to social protection. External recruitment is required to follow the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. Personal data is processed to ensure that these requirements are met. We are required under the Equality Act 2010 to make appropriate reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability.

processing is of a specific category of personal data and it is necessary for the purposes of identifying or keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between groups of people specified (in paragraph 8(2) of Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 2018) in relation to that category with a view to enabling such equality to be promoted or maintained; and it is not carried out for the purposes of measures or decisions with respect to a particular data subject; and you have not declined consent; and you have not given notice that you do not wish your data to be processed for these purposes; and the processing is not likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress to an individual. Diversity and inclusion data is used anonymously: ethnicity, religion, community background (Northern Ireland vacancies only), and sexual orientation.

it is necessary for archiving purposes, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes, and it is in the public interest. Analysis of applications and recruitment outcomes (including online tests), impact on protected groups, timescales for recruitment, and other research may be carried out.

The processing by us of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences or related security measures is not carried out under official authority, but is authorised because it meets the following condition:

it is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest. This is ensuring that individuals with access to official information and assets will meet the required standards of propriety.

Recipients

Your personal data will be shared by us with:

Account data:

our technical supplier and their approved staff

our technical supplier's hosting provider

profiles may be shared with departments who have vacancies available for priority movers

Once you have made an application, your information may be shared with:

Civil Service Commission, Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments - to ensure that recruitment processes are correctly followed

The GOV.UK Notify service for sending email and text messages

If you meet the required standard but the recruiting department is unable to offer you the job, you may be given the option of being added to a reserve list. Reserve lists may be shared with other Civil Service departments who are recruiting for similar roles.

If you undergo pre-employment checks prior to appointment, your data may be shared with:

Government Recruitment Service

Customer relationship management system

Capita

Capita Security Watchdog

Disclosure and Barring Service

AccessNI criminal record checks

Disclosure Scotland criminal record checks

occupational health providers

APS Group Translation Services

Civil Service Pensions

the recruiting department

the recruiting departmentís shared service provider (if a third party supplier is used)

the UK Security Vetting team, as well as the Security Cluster department for the relevant employer (which will be either HMRC, DWP, Home Office, MoD, or the FCO)

If you request support with your application or for a technical issue:

approved staff from Cabinet Office

approved staff from our technical supplier

customer relationship management system

project management tools

technical suppliers of online tests

As your personal data will be stored on our IT infrastructure it will also be shared with our data processors who provide email and document management and storage services to us.

When AccessNI is used

As an organisation using AccessNI to help assess the suitability of applicants for positions of trust, the Government Recruitment Service complies fully with AccessNIís Service Level Agreement regarding the correct handling, use, storage retention and disposal of Disclosure Applications and Disclosure information. We also comply fully with obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 and other relevant legislative requirements with regards to the safe handling, storage, retention and disposal of disclosure information.

As we no longer receive a copy certificate from AccessNI, written consent will be obtained from the applicant when requesting and retaining a copy of a disclosure certificate. Disclosure information is kept securely, in lockable, non-portable, storage containers with access strictly controlled and limited to those who are entitled to see it as part of their duties. In accordance with section 124 of the Police Act 1997, disclosure information is only passed to those who are authorised to receive it in the course of their duties. We maintain a record of all those to whom disclosures or disclosure information has been revealed. We recognise it is a criminal offence to pass this information to anyone who is not entitled to receive it. Disclosure information is only used for the specific purpose for which it was requested and for which the applicantís full consent has been given.

Once a recruitment (or other relevant appointment, regulatory or licensing) decision has been taken, we do not keep disclosure information for any longer than is necessary. We comply with AccessNIís Service Level Agreement to return the original disclosure certificate to the applicant once a decision, recruitment or otherwise has been made and will be retained no longer than the agreed period.

Once the retention period has elapsed, we will ensure that any disclosure information is immediately destroyed by secure means. While awaiting destruction, disclosure information will not be kept in any unsecured receptacle. We will not keep any photocopy or other image of the disclosure or any copy or representation of the contents of a disclosure or any other relevant non-conviction information supplied by police. However, despite the above, we may keep a record of the date of issue of a disclosure, the name of the subject, the type of disclosure requested, the position for which the disclosure was requested, the AccessNI unique reference number of the disclosure certificate and the details of the recruitment decision.

Retention

Your personal data will be kept by us for the following durations:

Application records and associated files (including CVs, letters, emails, comment and feedback) will be deleted 2 years after the vacancy is archived. A vacancy becomes archived when there are no active applications and either:

the vacancy is manually archived by a recruiter; or

the vacancy is automatically archived 1 year after the advertised closing date.

Candidate accounts - you can, at any time, choose to close your account. This will:

remove your ability to login to the account

withdraw any active applications

delete partially-completed applications which havenít been submitted

disable the automatic sending of job alerts

Closed accounts are deleted and cannot be restored, however previously submitted applications will be retained until deletion for the period described above.

Candidate accounts that are active will remain in the system unless the candidate deletes them (or makes a request for deletion). An account will become inactive if the user has not logged in for two years.

Vacancy manager accounts

ATS account holders are required to periodically reconfirm that they still require access, otherwise the account will become inactive.

Inactive accounts will be deleted three years after the last time the user logged in. Active accounts will remain in the system.

Automated decision making

Your personal data will be subject to automated decision making when online psychometric tests are used.

Some vacancies use online psychometric tests in the early stages of recruitment. Three tests are commonly used: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning and the Civil Service Judgement Test.

Decisions are made on who to invite to later stages based on automated scoring and sifting processes. In addition, test scores and other applicant data are regularly captured for statistical and research analysis purposes.

Your score is calculated from the responses you give during the test, and no other information about you is used. We compare your score to those gained by a peer group who previously took the test, to give you a percentile. The vacancy will have a minimum percentile requirement, and if your score is lower than this, you will be rejected and your application will not be considered further.

Your rights

You have the right to request information about how your personal data is processed, and to request a copy of that personal data.

You have the right to request a copy of any personal data you have provided, and for this to be provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

your personal data is available to view in your Application Centre at any time

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where it is processed for direct marketing purposes.

your data is not processed for direct marketing purposes

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data.

you can object to processing, although you will then be unable to be considered for a job

You have the right, in relation to automatic profiling, to obtain human intervention in the outcome, to express your point of view, and to contest the decision reached by automatic profiling.

you can email the contact listed on the advert for the job you have applied for

International transfers

As your personal data is stored on our IT infrastructure, and shared with our data processors who provide email, and document management and storage services, it may be transferred and stored securely outside the European Economic Area. Where that is the case it will be subject to equivalent legal protection through the use of Model Contract Clauses.

Complaints

If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Updates to this notice

If this privacy notice changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page. Regularly reviewing this page ensures you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we will share it with other parties.